Carp

Carp, (usually Cyprinus carpio), hardy greenish brown fish of the family Cyprinidae. It is native to Asia but has been introduced into Europe and North America and elsewhere. A large-scaled fish with two barbels on each side of its upper jaw, the carp lives alone or in small schools in quiet, weedy, mud-bottomed ponds, lakes, and rivers. It is omnivorous, and in rooting about for food it often roils the water, increasing turbidity and adversely affecting many plants and animals. As a result, it is often considered undesirable, and much effort may be devoted to its extermination.

In winter the carp becomes torpid, retires to the bottom, and stops feeding. It usually spawns in spring, when the female deposits numerous eggs on plants or detritus, usually in shallow water. The eggs hatch four to eight days later. Carp grow rapidly, attain sexual maturity about their third year, and in captivity may live more than 40 years. They average about 35 cm (14 inches) in length but may grow to more than 100 cm (39 inches) and 22 kg (49 pounds).

The carp is often raised for food, especially in Europe and Asia, because it is possible to produce large amounts of fish per acre. Two domesticated varieties of the species are the mirror carp (with a few large scales) and the leather carp (almost scaleless). The crucian carp (Carassius carassius) is a barbel-less European relative of the goldfish.

Many Asian carps are considered to be invasive fish. They feed rapaciously on plankton, invertebrates, and detritus and thus often upset aquatic food webs in areas where they are introduced. Species of Asian carp such as the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) were brought to North America during the 1960s and ’70s to control the growth of noxious aquatic plants, snails, and other pest organisms in ponds, fish farms, and small lakes. Floods and bait-release by sport fishers have allowed members of these species to colonize the Mississippi River system, where they have largely disrupted native aquatic ecosystems. Scientists fear that Asian carp may one day enter Lake Michigan through the Illinois River and subsequently disturb the ecological dynamics of the Great Lakes. To prevent this from occurring, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed a series of electric fish barriers in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

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